[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[November 10, 1999]
[Pages 2057-2059]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders on Certification of Major Drug Producing 
and Transit Countries
November 10, 1999

Dear __________:
    In accordance with the provisions of section 490(h) of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, I have determined that the following 
are major illicit drug producing or drug transit ``countries'' 
(including certain entities that are not sovereign states): Afghanistan, 
The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, 
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, 
Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, 
Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
    This year I have removed Aruba and Belize from the majors list; 
added Belize as part of this year's Central America region of concern; 
added the entire Eastern and Southern Caribbean, including the Leeward 
and Windward Islands, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles, as a region 
of concern; and also added North Korea as a country of concern.
    I wish to make clear that the inclusion of a country or entity on 
the majors list does not reflect an assessment of its government's 
counter-drug efforts or extent of cooperation with the United States. 
For example, among the reasons that a transit country or entity is 
placed on the majors list is the combination of geographical, 
commercial, and/or economic factors that allow drug traffickers to 
operate despite the most assiduous enforcement measures of the 
government concerned. In the case of Hong

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Kong and Taiwan, for instance, both entities have excellent counter-drug 
records and cooperate closely with the United States.
    Aruba. Aruba was designated as a major transit country in 1997. 
While geography makes Aruba, like most of the other island countries in 
the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, a potential drug transit point, at 
this time we do not have evidence that it is a major transit country for 
drugs bound for the United States. Rather, the drug trade there appears 
directed toward Europe. We will continue, however, to keep Aruba under 
observation together with the rest of the islands in the region.
    Belize. Belize's geographical position next to Mexico on the Yucatan 
peninsula offers would-be drug smugglers an attractive corridor for 
moving drugs into Mexico and on to the United States. Traffickers have 
used Belizean territory in previous years, when enforcement activities 
elsewhere enhanced the value of this route. Recently, however, we have 
detected significantly reduced drug flows to and through Belize.
    Therefore, I have decided to remove Belize from the majors list. If 
future monitoring of Central America indicates a resumption of important 
drug flows through Belize bound for the United States, I will again 
place the country on the majors list.
    Central America. Central America's location between South America 
and Mexico, together with its thousands of miles of coastline, several 
container-handling ports, the Pan-American Highway, and limited law 
enforcement capability make the entire region a logical conduit and 
transhipment area for illicit drugs bound for Mexico and the United 
States. The variance in seizure statistics from country to country, and 
their fluctuation from year to year, underscore my concern with Central 
America's potential and volatile role as a transit region. For instance, 
Panama and Guatemala continue to report more seizures than other 
countries in the region, while seizures to date by Costa Rica, Honduras, 
and Nicaragua are below levels during the same period in previous years 
and flow levels in El Salvador remain low. Taken together, these 
circumstances indicate a need to continue to monitor the situation in 
Central America.
    Cuba. While there have been some reports that trafficking syndicates 
use Cuban land territory for moving drugs, we have yet to receive any 
confirmation that this traffic carries significant quantities of cocaine 
or heroin to the United States. In particular, the intelligence and law 
enforcement communities reviewed the information concerning whether the 
7.2 metric ton shipment of cocaine seized in Colombia in December 1998, 
in a container reportedly headed to Cuba, was destined for the United 
States. Their judgment remains that Spain, and not the United States, 
was the intended final destination.
    We also looked closely at the use of Cuban waters and airspace for 
transit of drugs to the United States, as the term ``major drug transit 
country'' is understood to apply to the land, waters, and airspace of a 
country over which sovereignty may be exercised, consistent with 
international law and United States practice. Although we have detected 
what appears to be some air and sea activity consistent with trafficking 
patterns, this activity has decreased significantly since last year and 
indicates a corresponding decrease in drug flow. We continue to keep 
trafficking in the area under close observation and will add Cuba to the 
majors list if the evidence warrants.
    Eastern and Southern Caribbean. The Leeward and Windward Islands, 
together with Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, constitute a broad 
geographical area through which drugs bound for the United States may 
pass en route from Latin America. We have no evidence at this time, 
however, that any of these Eastern Caribbean nations is a major drug 
transit country under the statutory definition. The information we do 
have indicates that drugs moving through the area are overwhelmingly 
destined for Europe. We are, therefore, keeping the region under 
observation, and I will add the relevant countries to the majors list 
should conditions warrant.
    Iran. Although Iran in the past had been a traditional opium 
producing country, over the past few years the Government of Iran 
reported success in eradicating illicit opium poppy cultivation. A 
survey of the country this year revealed no detectable poppy cultivation 
in the traditional growing areas. While one cannot rule out some 
cultivation in remote parts of the country, it is unlikely that there 
would be enough to meet the threshold definition of a major drug 
producing country. Important quantities of opiates reportedly continue 
to transit Iran en route to Europe, but we have no evidence that these 
drugs significantly affect the United States, a

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requirement for designation as a major drug transit country under 
current legislation.
    Malaysia. Malaysia was removed from the majors list last year 
because drug flow estimates did not indicate that drugs transiting the 
country had reached the United States in significant quantities.
    North Korea. Our observations to date have been unable to confirm 
reports that significant quantities of opium poppy may be under 
cultivation in North Korea or that heroin originating in the country may 
be entering the international drug trade. We continue, however, to 
monitor the situation. If we confirm that there is indeed significant 
poppy cultivation, or that North Korea is a transit point for drugs 
significantly affecting the United States, I will add the country to the 
majors list.
    Syria and Lebanon. We removed Syria and Lebanon from the majors list 
2 years ago after we determined that there was no significant opium 
poppy cultivation in Lebanon's Biqa' Valley. Recent surveys have 
confirmed that there has been no detectable replanting of opium poppy, 
and we have no evidence that drugs transiting these countries 
significantly affect the United States. We continue, however, to keep 
the area under observation.
    Turkey and Other Balkan Route Countries. We remain concerned about 
the large volume of Southwest Asian heroin moving through Turkey and 
neighboring countries to Western Europe along the Balkan Route. We have 
no clear evidence, however, that this heroin significantly affects the 
United States as required for a country to be designated a major transit 
country. In the event that we determine that heroin transiting Turkey, 
Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, the Former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or other European countries on the 
Balkan Route significantly affects the United States, I will add the 
relevant countries to the majors list.
    Major Cannabis Producers. While Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, the 
Philippines, and South Africa are important cannabis producers, we have 
not included them on the majors list since in all cases the illicit 
cannabis is either consumed locally or exported to countries other than 
the United States. I have determined that such illicit cannabis 
production does not significantly affect the United States.
    Central Asia. We have conducted probes in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, 
traditional opium poppy growing areas of the former Soviet Union. These 
probes have not shown significant opium poppy cultivation. If ongoing 
analysis reveals cultivation of 1,000 hectares or more of poppy, I will 
add the relevant countries to the majors list.
        Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Jesse Helms, chairman, and Joseph 
R. Biden, Jr., ranking member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; 
Ted Stevens, chairman, and Robert C. Byrd, ranking member, Senate 
Committee on Appropriations; Benjamin A. Gilman, chairman, and Sam 
Gejdenson, ranking member, House Committee on International Relations; 
and C.W. Bill Young, chairman, and David R. Obey, ranking member, House 
Committee on Appropriations.